APNewsBreak: Gingrich campaign finance team quits  —  ATLANTA — The top fundraisers for Newt Gingrich's presidential campaign have abandoned his struggling bid amid anemic fundraising and heavy spending.  —  Campaign spokesman R.C. Hammond is confirming to The Associated Press …

Senate unanimously approves Panetta as new Defense chief  —  The Senate on Tuesday unanimously approved Leon Panetta's nomination to become the next Defense secretary.  —  Panetta, the current CIA chief, is expected to be sworn in by July 1.  He immediately will inherit a military fighting …

Did Obama Really Prevent A Second Great Depression?  —  It has become a common refrain at the White House and among administration supporters that President Obama's aggressive efforts to stimulate growth prevented an economic catastrophe.  —  “We had to hit the ground running and do everything …

Huntsman's Paltry Crowds  —  A few weeks ago, I was up in New Hampshire for Jon Huntsman's maiden swing through the state as a possible — it's now official — presidential candidate.  The rest of the national press corps seemed to be there, too.  At many of the events, we reporters outnumbered actual voters, sometimes vastly.

Straight Talk From Top Enlisted Marine on 'Don't Ask' Repeal  —  The Command Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, the service's top non-commissioned officer, is supposed to be tough, hard-charging — and more than a little intimidating. … In that respect, Sgt. Maj. Micheal Barrett …

John McCain, John Kerry introduce Libya resolution  —  Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.) introduced a resolution Tuesday that would give President Barack Obama the green light to continue limited military operations in Libya.  —  The language of the proposal has more teeth …

Bristol Palin Reveals True Feelings About the McCains, ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ Levi Johnston and More  —  From Levi Johnston to Meghan McCain, Bristol Palin has been put off by a lot of people.  —  In her upcoming memoir, “Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far,” the 20-year-old daughter …

Five Points in Perry's Favor  —  Five reasons you might like to see Rick Perry get into the GOP primary race?  Easy.  How about 1.  Mitt Romney; 2.  Tim Pawlenty; 3.  Michele Bachmann; 4.  Herman Cain; 5.  Ron Paul?  Here's five more: Boeing, eBay, DynaPump, SunPower, Fluor.

Cigarette Health Warnings  —  Beginning September 2012, FDA will require larger, more prominent cigarette health warnings on all cigarette packaging and advertisements in the United States.  These warnings mark the first change in cigarette warnings in more than 25 years and are a significant advancement …

AP NewsBreak: A twist in Obama's health care law  —  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama's health care law would let several million middle-class people get nearly free insurance meant for the poor, a twist government number crunchers say they discovered only after the complex bill was signed.

Huntsman Campaign Launch Begins Day with Misspelling of His Own Name  —  ABC News' Sarah Kunin (@Sarah_Kunin) reports:  —  Every detail of Jon Huntsman's long-awaited campaign launch was meticulously planned, except of course for one minor detail: the misspelling of the candidate's name.

Stunning result, twice  —  The result stunned poll director Mark DiCamillo, who said he initially dismissed as an aberration a similar outcome in a March poll that had one of the state's most-popular politicians falling so far from favor.  The nonpartisan Field Poll is considered one of the most reliable surveys in the state.

PIMCO Founder To Deficit-Obsessed Congress: Get Back To Reality  —  One of the most influential investors in the world of finance has a message for lawmakers — particularly conservative lawmakers — on Capitol Hill: rejoin the real world.  —  In a prospectus for clients, Bill Gross …

Planned Parenthood stops treating Medicaid clients as stopgap funds run out  —  Planned Parenthood will stop treating Medicaid patients and lay off two of its three STD specialists after the donations it had been using to replace state funds ran out Monday.  —  A tough state anti-abortion …

Blue State Schools: The Shame of a Nation  —  When it come to excellence in education, red states rule — at least according to a panel of experts assembled by Tina Brown's Newsweek.  Using a set of indicators ranging from graduation rate to college admissions and SAT scores …

Upper West Side Bagel Legend to Close … At 80th Street and Broadway, the sign is already gone but the aroma of freshly baked bagels still lingers.  —  Inhale it fast, Upper West Siders, because this is it: H & H Bagels, a Sunday stalwart for generations, will close Wednesday.

Pawlenty buys ads in Iowa  —  Tim Pawlenty will become the first Republican candidate to launch a major media buy in Iowa.  —  Pawlenty is going up with ads in the first-in-the-nation caucus state starting tomorrow on Fox News with a buy just under $50,000 in the Cedar Rapids, Des Moines …

McCain scoffs at idea of a second presidential run  —  WASHINGTON - Sen. John McCain is brushing aside any questions about whether he might ultimately decide to run for president again in 2012.  —  McCain was asked in an NBC “Today” show interview whether he'd get into the sweepstakes …

Republican State Senator Jim Alesi: I'm Happy to Be Seen As the Symbolic Turning Vote on Marriage Equality  —  An issue weighing on the minds of Republican state senators, which we hear has been part of the reasoning for the delay on a vote on Governor Cuomo's Marriage Equality Act …

Libertarians Aren't All Selfish Jerks  —  They're said to only care about themselves.  So why do they toil for other people's freedom?  —  With the U.S. waging multiple wars, the federal government bigger in size and scope than ever before, and civil liberties under unprecedented attack …

Are Taxes High or Low?  A Further Look  —  Bruce Bartlett held senior policy roles in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations and served  —  on the staffs of Representatives Jack Kemp and Ron Paul.  —  A couple of weeks ago, I discussed the low level of federal taxes as a share …